


from 1080P to 3D

by Mizune



Series: Alternate Journey (Sormik Week 2017) [4]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Asexual-spectrum Mikleo, Asexual-spectrum Sorey, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Sormik Week 2017, mention of background Rose/Alisha, not-youtube shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-06 12:26:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16832590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizune/pseuds/Mizune
Summary: Sorey starts posting videos online, sharing his theories about the Celestial Record. He catches Mikleo's attention.Written for Sormik Week 2017 - Day 3: Knowledge





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yes i actually have been working on this since 2017....

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 1**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Um, hello everyone! Er, my name’s Sorey and... this is my first video! It was actually Rose’s idea, she’s my friend, though now that I think about it, sitting here with the camera rolling and all, I guess it was supposed to be a sarcastic comment? Anyway, she said I should ‘tell all this nerdy stuff to someone who cares’, so I figured, there _must_ be someone who does on the internet! Or at least I hope so. Otherwise I’m just rambling to myself like an idiot, haha. Though I’m doing exactly that regardless of whether anyone watches it or not, huh? Uhhh... right! The Celestial Record. That’s what I wanna talk about. So, the Celestial Record is this really awesome and amazing book!! It was written...”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

omg this is a disaster. have you even heard of video editing?

also, do more research dumbass, your theory at 6:12 is waaaay off

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Wow, someone actually watched it and commented! Thank you, The_Enforcer! I appreciate it.

That said, I’m pretty confident in my theory. What’s wrong with it?

_View 42 more replies_

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

is it too soon to say i ship it?

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 2**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“It’s me again, Sorey! Thanks to everyone who watched my first video. And, uh, commented. Anyway, see that double-digit view count, Rose? There’s plenty of people interested in hearing what I have to say about the Celestial Record! So I guess I’ll keep it up. I mean, there’s just so much to talk about! So, uhh, let’s see... Aha! Yes, perfect. I love this part. Well, I love the whole thing, but this one’s especially good! Right, so the...”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

oh no you’re continuing this disaster?

you’re wrong again at 7:19 btw

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Yeah, well, you’re watching it!!

Uh, no I’m not? What other explanation is there?

_View 36 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 7**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! Sorey here. I think I’m starting to get the hang of this! But my summer vacation’s ending soon, and my last year of high school’s gonna be busy with university applications, so I think I’ll have to post videos less regularly. We’ll see. Anyways, today I’d like to talk about...”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

oh how awful, whatever shall we do without your high quality content

4:13 - what the heck were you even on when you thought of this one?

(but... gl with your applications. you’ll clearly need it)

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Okay that was definitely sarcasm. And says the person still watching and commenting!!

Seriously, not this again.... are you gonna contradict me on every single video?

(Oh. Thanks?)

_View 58 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 16**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“...And that’s all for this episode. Thanks to everyone watching, please leave a comment down below and let me know what you thought! You can also subscribe to my channel if you want. See you all next time, bye!”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

10:25 - i can literally feel the author rolling in his grave upon hearing that dumb idea

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

lol you broke sorey, good job dude! -high five-

when’s the wedding tho

_View 77 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record – Episode 21**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! Sorey here. I have some great news! See this? It’s my acceptance letter to Marlind University, I got into the Archeology course I applied for! I still can’t believe it, I’m one step closer to my dream... It’s going to be so great, being around people who love ruins as much as I do. For today’s topic, I picked one of my favourites, the…”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

congratulations, sorey. i suppose you must’ve really tried hard to get in.

....and were probably lucky they didnt find your channel

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Thanks! And also shut up.

_View 39 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 24**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hey everyone! I kind of hope you all know that my name is Sorey by now… It’s actually been a year since I started posting videos, wow. I’m surprised I’ve managed to stick with it this long, but it’s all thanks to your support! It won’t get any easier with university starting next month, I’ve already been trying to get a head-start on the required reading. I promise I’ll keep going though!”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

if nothing else, at least your persistence is admirable

and all that required reading had better improve your theories

_SoreysChannel commented:_

I’m just going to focus on the part where you complimented me for once and ignore the rest.

_View 58 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 29**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“...Please leave a comment and... you know what? You don’t have to let me know what _you_ think, The_Enforcer. I know you’re just going to pick apart something I said, and I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life right now. Uh, anyone else is free to comment though! Er, bye!”

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

ohhhhh you fucked up real bad, buddy

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 30**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“…And that’s it for today. Thanks for watching and please-- tune in next time, too! Bye!”

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 31**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“…really makes you wonder, doesn’t it? So many possible theories that… could be discussed! Discussed in… comments? So um, I think I’ll end it here for today, thanks everyone for watching. See you all next time.”

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 32**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hey everyone! It’s actually been a bit longer than usual, huh? I guess I just don’t have the… time…. recently. Because of university and, uh… stuff. But I’m not even halfway through the book yet! There’s still so much to talk about! So I’ll see it through to the end, no matter what. For all of you loyal viewers who have been here since the start, cheering me on.” 

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 33**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Thanks everyone for watching. If-- if you have your own ideas to share! Please, leave a comment? I No pressure or anything. Just if you feel like it. Yeah, uh, bye!”

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 34**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“...Thanks for watching, and—Okay, I have to say something. I’m sorry, The_Enforcer. I didn’t think you’d take me seriously and stop commenting. Over the past weeks I realized I actually enjoyed our debates? A lot? So it’s just not the same without hearing what you think. Anyway, uh, yeah, on a completely unrelated note! Professor Mayvin’s coming to hold a presentation about his travels at the Dummonia Museum here in Marlind next month. I’ll be going, so, I dunno, if anyone wants to maybe... talk to me in person... for reasons... you can find me there! Okay-bye-see-you-all-next-time!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're entering the 1000% self-indulgent ace sormik zone here  
> i think i could start doing a self-indulgence bingo on my fics tbh
> 
> and since ace is such a wide spectrum, once again this is just one facet of it that i happened to feel like writing for this story!

A heavy round of applause followed the end of Professor Mayvin’s presentation at the Dummonia Museum. The lecture hall was soon filled with the chatters of the audience and chairs being pushed away as they got to their feet.

Sorey stayed seated for a few minutes, glancing around nervously. Someone who watches his channel had approached him before the presentation - a blond man slightly taller than him, who was just a little more interested in the treasures than the ruins they’re found in - but he wasn’t That Person.

Maybe his invitation wasn’t clear enough. Maybe they had other plans already. Maybe they don’t even live close enough to Marlind to make the trip! There were too many maybes. He should’ve thought this plan through more.

He shouldn’t have publicly snapped at them in the first place. But it was too late to regret that now.

Once the hall was half empty, he let out a disappointed sigh as he stood up and started gathering his belongings.

Then, Sorey felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around and who he saw standing there could only be described as an angel, descended straight from the heavens to bless humankind with their mere presence. How did he not see them earlier? He almost dropped his bag.

“You’re Sorey, right?” the angel asked him. Dumbstruck, Sorey could only nod.

“Uh, hi. I’m Mikleo. I, ahh, watch your videos?” the angel said hesitantly. Who knew they were connected to the internet up there, too?

He should probably say something. He really needs to say something. But what do you say to a divine being? It seemed like the usual ‘thanks for watching’ wouldn’t cut it.

“And... I comment on them,” the angel continued. “Under the name of The_Enforcer.”

“You’re human?!” Sorey blurted out the most important question pertaining to that reveal.

“What, did you think I was a cave troll?” he asked, crossing his arms and fixing a piercing glare on Sorey.

“No, of course not! You’re just, a lot... prettier... than I expected,” Sorey replied in full honesty, awkwardly scratching at his cheek.

“Were you imagining me as some greasy old man, who has nothing better to do with his time than point out your mistakes?” Mikleo retorted, jumping right over the compliment.

“Woah easy there, no need to get so prickly,” Sorey attempted to placate him, putting his hands up with palms open. “I wanted to make amends, not make things worse between us.”

“Okay. So, I’m here now. What did you have in mind?” Mikleo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, um, do you want me for dinner?” Sorey asked, completely betrayed by his brain-to-mouth filter.

“Uhh...?”

“I mean! Eat with! With. Dinner. Dinner with me. With, not for. No one’s eating anyone. No cannibalism. Just dinner,” Sorey tried salvaging the situation with little success.

“Sure, I guess,” Mikleo answered with a shrug, averting his gaze from Sorey.

“Excellent! I know just the place!”

* * *

After a short walk from the museum filled with awkward chatter, they arrived at their destination. Sorey quickened his pace for the last few steps so he could pull the door open for Mikleo. “After you.”

“I presume you’ll even pull out my chair at the table, too?” Mikleo commented with a smirk as he passed by Sorey.

“If it’s not a booth seat,” he replied in earnest.

They approached the podium, where a waitress was busy arranging the menus. “Welcome to the Sparrowfeather’s Nest!” she began the introductory spiel without looking up. “How would you-“

As she looked up, she let out a long wolf whistle. “Hot damn, Sorey! Where’d you pick up the arm candy? If you say Mayvin’s presentation, I swear to the gods I’ll smack you over the head with this thing. Be glad it’s not a platter.”

“Weeell actually... Yeah,” Sorey said, sheepishly scratching at the back of his head.

Rose never went back on her word, thus proceeding to lean over the podium and smacking Sorey with the aforementioned item.

“Let me guess, she’s the infamous Rose?” Mikleo asked, failing to suppress his laughter at their antics.

“Yup. Mikleo, meet Rose. Rose, this is Mikleo.” In a stage whisper, Sorey added, “He’s The_Enforcer.”

“Holy shit no fucking way. I can’t believe you’re here. Daaaaamn son. I owe you a high five for getting Sorey to swear.”

She held up her open palm and Mikleo followed up on it, Sorey groaning as they high fived.

Suddenly, an epiphany hit Rose. “Ohhh! So this is a date now! You two are on your first date! Nice choice, Sorey. Let your good ol’ friend Rose here take care of everything.”

“Rose no!! Not a date!!” he objected, frantically waving his hands.

“I can’t decide if I should take offense at the insinuation or the objection,” Mikleo quipped in.

“Right, okay, still strong on the denial from both of you, I see. Whatever, you’ll figure it out at your own pace. Anyways, let’s get you guys seated. Follow me.”

She grabbed two menus from the podium, then led the boys to a table in the far end of the restaurant. (A booth seat on the corner that circled all the way around the table, unfortunately for Sorey, so no show of further chivalry.) As they were taking their seats across from each other, Rose whispered something to Mikleo that Sorey couldn’t quite catch.

“Sorey knows the whole menu by heart by now, but I’ll give you some time to decide. What can I bring for drinks in the meantime?” Rose asked, promptly switching into customer service mode.

“A glass of lemonade for me, please,” Mikleo replied.

“Oh, so you can be courteous, too!” Sorey added.

“To people working in the service industry? That’s just common decency.”

“As much as I support you two, I can’t stick around for your flirty banter all night long. Got customers to serve, tables to wipe off. An orange soda for Sorey it is, then,” Rose said, jotting it down out of habit.

“Wait! What if I want something else today?” Sorey perked up in his seat.

“Well, do you?” Rose asked, putting a hand on her hip and fixing a pointed look on him.

“Uhh, no... An orange soda, please,” he said, shrinking back down.

“Yeah, thought so. I’ll be right back.” She tucked away her notepad with a laugh and left towards the kitchen.

Mikleo began to look through the menu, and Sorey followed suit just so he wouldn’t stare at him.

“Sorry about that. Rose is... Rose. You’ve read her comments.” He spoke up to avoid the silence that was about to settle between them. He wanted to soften up the atmosphere a little before they got to the Serious Conversation.

“It’s alright. Worth it to see you squirming under her teasing,” Mikleo said with a mischievous smile, not even bothering to look up from the menu laid out in front of him. Sorey however, couldn’t help himself and looked up from his own, making the mistake of witnessing Mikleo’s expression. He was certain his heart was going to break through his ribcage any second now, which surely wouldn’t be an appetizing sight before dinner.

Sorey just barely snapped out of his daze when Rose came back with their drinks and took their orders (with an unwanted appetizer of too many innuendos).

As soon as she was out of hearing distance again, Sorey turned to Mikleo.

“Okay, maybe coming to Rose’s restaurant wasn’t such a bright idea, so uh, I guess now’s the best time to get through the hard part first.”

He straightened up and took a deep breath. “Mikleo, I-”

“Sorey, stop.” Mikleo interjected, his expression turning solemn. “I’m the one who should make amends. When you snapped at me, I realized I was also being mean to you. I’m sorry. I should’ve been more considerate about how I phrased my... remarks. And I didn’t know how to deal with that, so I just stopped commenting altogether, because I didn’t want to hurt you any further. I kept watching your videos, though. When you apologized, even though it wasn’t your fault at all, I knew the least I could do was to come and meet you here. That was a very poorly veiled invitation, you know.”

“Ahaha, it was, wasn’t it?” Sorey laughed awkwardly. “But it worked! And, well, it was my fault a little, too. I should’ve edited that part out, even if I got carried away while recording it. I was really stressed about my exams, and ended up taking it out on you. So I do insist on saying that I’m sorry, too.”

They both looked at each other with soft smiles. Relief washed over Sorey: after weeks of worrying and tearing himself up inside, he could finally feel at ease. All it took was an honest conversation. There was just one more thing for him to do.

“So… can we try becoming friends?” Sorey asked.

“I’d be happy to,” Mikleo answered. “And... I haven’t been too kind this evening so far, either. Sorry, I snark when I’m nervous. What would you say to a soft reset, starting now?”

“Works for me! Hi, I’m Sorey. Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand over the table.

“Nice to meet you, too, Sorey. I’m Mikleo.” With an amused smile, he shook Sorey’s hand. 

The rest of their dinner was a smooth affair. For the most part, Rose reined in her teasing as she served them, and the two boys were soon chatting away like two childhood best friends, the rocky start put behind them. Sorey couldn’t even be mad at her for bringing them a huge ice cream sundae, topped with an inordinate amount of whipped cream and heart-shaped sprinkles; obviously meant to be shared.

“This is on the house,” she explained as she set it on the table in front of them. (Somewhere along the course of the evening, they had gravitated closer to each other, now sitting side by side.) “And, I’m staying at Alisha’s tonight, so you can also have _the_ house. Well, apartment.”

Rose made a quick exit, leaving Sorey to sputter after her comment.

“You two live together?” Mikleo asked. There was something in his tone that Sorey couldn’t quite place.

“Since university started, yeah, it was cheaper this way. She’s gay, I’m gay, so it works out perfectly,” he blurted out in response.

“Oh?” Mikleo raised an eyebrow.

“Ah!!” Sorey turned deep red in an instant. “Can we pretend I didn’t say that?”

“About Rose or you?”

“Nah, you’d have figured Rose out anyways.”

“Yeah, there’s something obvious in her general aura. And… would you still want to take it back if… I said I’m gay, too?”

“Wh-what? Really?”

Mikleo nodded, a blush forming on his cheeks as well.

“Oh. Okay. That’s... very okay.”

Internally, Sorey was feeling far from okay. First, he meets an angel. Second, the angel turns out to be his cyber-nemesis, which had already given him complicated emotions he planned on ignoring for the time being, and now this? Very strictly speaking, there is at least a possibility for mutual attraction? That is too much to process within the span of a few hours. He didn’t have much of a plan to begin with, but this definitely wasn’t part of it.

“You’re pretty obvious, too, by the way. Plus, Rose basically shoved you out of any metaphorical closet you may have attempted to hide in.”

“Nonsense!”

“So you didn’t spend the whole evening staring at me, either?”

“To be fair, who doesn’t stare at you, with how gorgeous you are?”

“Let’s just eat this monstrosity before it melts.”

Seeing Mikleo ever so adorably abashed, he wanted nothing more than to kiss him in that moment.

Sorey realized he was absolutely, completely and utterly doomed.

* * *

The boys bravely challenged the sundae and came out victorious after a grueling battle.

After a moment, or rather several moments, of silence to honor their fallen opponent, which was in no way related to the current state of their digestive systems, Mikleo spoke up. “Well, it’s getting late, so I need to catch the last train back home...”

Mikleo began to fidget in his seat, preparing himself to stand up. Sorey would forevermore blame it on the sugar rush that he grabbed the hem of Mikleo’s shirt. “Stay.”

Mikleo stared at him for a few seconds, surprised. “I’m sure the restaurant’s closing soon, too.”

“I meant, stay over. Please.” He stared back at him with the most ‘kicked-puppy look’ he could muster. (He took a moment to thank Rose for letting him know about the number 1 secret weapon at his disposal.)

“I’d be worried to let you take the last train by yourself,” he added. “And I could show you that antique book I have on the history of Marlind.”

“Wow, you sure know how to charm the pants off a guy.” Mikleo let out a weary sigh and averted his gaze from Sorey. “Alright, I suppose I could. Just let me text my friends so they know I wasn’t abducted by an axe murderer.”

Sorey willfully kept himself from lingering on the mental image that pants-charming comment gave him. “Of course. In fact, I will even let you take a selfie with me so you can have proof!”

“Oh, how gracious of you,” Mikleo said, rolling his eyes, but smiling.

It took them a few attempts, but they ended up with quite the nice picture. Sorey had no ulterior motive whatsoever when he suggested they take some with his phone, too. (He didn’t quite have the courage to ask for Mikleo to send it over, and on the same occasion, get his contact info as well.)

Afterwards, they gathered their stuff and went up front to pay. They both insisted on being the one to cover the bill. Rose got real tired of their squabbling real fast, so she forced them to split it instead.

As a last thought, Rose shouted after them as they were leaving the restaurant. “The lube’s in the bathroom cabinet!”

Sorey nearly tripped over the doorstep, almost crashing into Mikleo, who froze on the spot. Rose burst into laughter.

* * *

It was another short walk from the restaurant to the apartment. Sorey blabbed about anything that popped into his mind to dispel their embarrassment over Rose’s comment. By the time they were through the door, the atmosphere between them was normal again.

It was a cozy space: the short hallway opened into the living room area combined with an open kitchen; another hallway lead to the two bedrooms, bathroom and toilet further in the back of the apartment.

Sorey gave Mikleo a very quick tour, not even daring to open the door to his bedroom. They returned to the living room, Mikleo taking a seat on the spacious sofa while Sorey browsed the bookshelf for the pieces he wanted to show him.

It gave Sorey a moment to catch up his heart and brain to the day’s events. And that, was a grave mistake. He’d been going with the flow, caught up in Mikleo’s alluring presence. Now, with a heartthrob beauty actually sitting on his sofa in his apartment and staying the night, the weight of the situation dawned on him and brought back the nerves. He took a few deep breaths. He promised Mikleo some choice literature and he will stick to his word, like a gentleman. He forcibly squashed down his feelings, putting them away for Future Sorey to deal with on another day.

He piled several thick volumes into his arms and carefully carried them to the coffee table, setting them down in front of his guest. Mikleo eagerly reached for the book on top, his hand brushing Sorey’s in his haste. The contact only lasted a split second before they both pulled back and mumbled apologies. Sorey took the long way around the coffee table to sit down on the far side of the sofa.

Mikleo placed the book in his lap. He began flipping through the pages, skimming the text, sometimes stopping on longer passages. Sorey watched him, entranced by the graceful movements of his hand, and his expression shining with curiosity as he absorbed the content he was reading.

“Aren’t you going to dazzle me with your extensive knowledge?” Mikleo asked after a few minutes, tearing his eyes away from the book to look at Sorey and a tiny smile playing about his lips.

“Oh, yes! Sure! Of course!” Sorey squeaked out.

He scooted closer to Mikleo on the sofa, but made sure to leave some space between them. Mikleo put the book on the coffee table so they could both lean over it to see.

Much to Sorey’s surprise, they managed to hold up civilized discussion. For the most part. There were moments when they got a little carried away, but all it took was one glance into each other’s eyes and the brewing storm calmed. The ‘I want to kiss him’ thought also crossed Sorey’s mind with alarming frequency.

When they were finished with the first book, Mikleo pulled the next one off the top of the pile without pause. In a very subtle movement, he sat closer to Sorey, opening the book between them on the coffee table.

Subtle as it was, it threw Sorey’s heart into overdrive again. He could hear that Mikleo was speaking, but couldn’t register the words. He was too focused on their proximity, willing himself not to bridge the sliver of a gap between them and press their shoulders together. He took a deep breath to calm himself, but only succeeded in catching a whiff of Mikleo’s vanilla-scented shampoo, which didn’t help his current predicament in the least.

Suddenly, Mikleo looked up at him. “Sorey?”

“Yes?”

“I asked a question,” Mikleo said, in a slightly admonishing tone.

“Oh! Sorry, I spaced out. What was it?”

“... Did you hear anything I said in the last ten minutes? Or were you too preoccupied with staring at me again?” he asked with a teasing smirk.

Sorey didn’t even know how to reply, so he just looked at him sheepishly. Mikleo slowly shook his head in exasperation. “Alright, not much I can do about that, I suppose. I’ll start again, but pay attention this time, okay?”

“Yes sir!”

Mikleo started explaining again, and Sorey was high-key proud of himself for concentrating on the words, instead of the beautiful, soft pink lips that spoke them. He even managed to hold up his end of the discussion, building onto Mikleo’s theories. 

Then, when Sorey was mid-sentence--

Mikleo leaned forward and kissed him.

Mikleo kissed _him_.

_Mikleo kissed him_.

Sorey was so shocked at this entirely unexpected and totally unpredictable turn of events that he barely had time to enjoy the sensation of his lips, much less reciprocate, before Mikleo pulled back.

“Sorey? Did I... misread the signals? Oh lords, I’m so sorry, I’ll go-” he began to excuse himself, abruptly standing up.

“What, no, wait, please, do that again,” Sorey blurted out, reaching for his hand but stopping short of doing so. He looked up at him with the most pleading look he could muster.

Mikleo’s cheeks bloomed pink, and he dropped back down onto the sofa. The boys stared at each other, too flustered to say or do anything more. The tension between them thickened with every passing second.

After a while, Sorey couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up. “Mikleo.”

“Sorey?” Hearing his name spoken so softly did unhealthy things to his already ailing heart.

“You’re making it very difficult to keep my hands off of you. This is the most self-restraint I’ve ever shown,” he said, the words out of his mouth sooner than he could consider their meaning. (Oh, the tales Rose’s mabo curry buns could tell, if they’d have lived longer than 10 seconds.)

“Then don’t,” Mikleo countered, like it was the most natural suggestion in the world.

“What?” Sorey scrunched up his nose in confusion.

“I am giving you explicit permission to not keep your hands off me,” he explained, clearly enunciating each word, looking him directly in the eyes.

It took a moment for Sorey to truly grasp the meaning of it. “Oh! Ohhhhhhh.... Aahh! Are you sure? I didn’t say it to pressure you into anything.”

Mikleo pulled his legs up onto the sofa and angled his body towards Sorey. With a grand show of rolling his eyes and an exasperated sigh, he reached forward to grab his arms and plant his hands on his waist. “There we go.”

“Miiikleeeooo...” Sorey whined, but kept his hands in place.

He let his head fall forward, burying his face into Mikleo’s neck. He could clearly hear his sharp intake of breath. Literally at the bosom of temptation, Sorey had no gentlemanliness left in him to move away.

“You’re... okay with this, right? Like, uh, it wasn’t part of the plan, I swear...” he tried excusing himself, turning his head to the side a little, so Mikleo could hear him properly.

“Yes, I’m more than okay with it. Do you need me to give it in writing with a fancy signature and all? Besides, I was the one who kissed you first, in case you forgot already.”

Right, that very recent moment that spun Sorey’s world around its axis, knocked it out of orbit and recentered it around Mikleo. Although he sounded casual about the whole situation, Sorey could feel the tension in his body. Underneath his fingers. His fingers on Mikleo’s waist. That Mikleo put there, to be on his waist.

At this point, it’s a toss-up between his brain or his heart giving up on him first.

“Then, I can kiss you?”

“Please do.”

“Oh, if you ask so nicely, then I suppose I have to.”

Sorey captured Mikleo’s lips, emboldened by a sudden rush of bravery. As soon as their lips touched, he could feel Mikleo letting go and melting against him. Their eyes slipped closed as they acquainted themselves with the feel of the other, finding a rhythm as their shy movements eventually turned more confident.

By the time they needed to break apart for air, Sorey found himself lying back against the sofa’s armrest with Mikleo pressed against him. Mikleo’s slightly disheveled expression hovering right above his face, he felt like he had been taken to heaven, held in the arms of an angel. (Well, technically, holding an angel in his arms.)

Mikleo was eager to get back to kissing him and the longer his lips stayed on Sorey’s, the more the affection in his heart grew. His hands began to roam Mikleo’s body, no longer anchored to his waist, earning pleased sounds from him. He wanted to discover all of him, not just his lips, not just his mouth, but his entire body, delicately mapped out by Sorey’s own fingers.

Then, as Sorey caressed a certain spot on Mikleo’s thigh, he keened forward, applying more pressure on Sorey in a place where he shouldn’t have. The unexpected friction surprised them both and Mikleo pulled away, rising onto his knees and grabbing onto the sofa’s backrest for support.

“Can we, uh, bedroom?” Sorey gave his best shot at forming a sentence, albeit with little success. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Mikleo’s eyes widened and Sorey wanted to disappear into the cushions. “Not for that! But there’s more space! On my bed!”

Mikleo let out a sigh of relief. He scooted backwards and sat down, instead of resuming his earlier position. Sorey sat up, keeping some space between them on the sofa. Both of them needed a minute to calm themselves a little.

“Are you really okay?” Sorey asked, once his breathing had evened out and he felt capable of speech again. “I feel like I’m getting mixed signals here.”

“Yeah. I want this, with you. I’m not saying I lied when I told you was I gay at the restaurant, but, some… terms and conditions apply, so to speak,” Mikleo answered, keeping his gaze down. “I thought that if it’s you, I could ignore them for one night.”

“Oh Mikleo…” He looked so vulnerable, so fragile. Sorey wished he could pull him into a hug. Instead, he put his hand forward, palm up. Mikleo accepted the offer, placing his hand in Sorey’s. He gave him a comforting squeeze that Mikleo reciprocated.

“I was barely ten seconds into watching your first video when I got pissed off by how ridiculously hot you were. So, by the end I felt like I had to at least pick apart your theories,” Mikleo said, shyly peeking at Sorey. 

He couldn’t help himself and started laughing. “Really? _You_ thought _I_ was hot? Do you need me to introduce you to a mirror?”

“You’re handsome-hot, I’m gorgeous-hot. There’s a difference,” Mikleo shot back with a grin.

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” Sorey conceded, glad that he could ease Mikleo’s seriousness. “Also, wow, everything makes so much more sense now. You’ve been crushing on me all along, haven’t you?”

“Do you remember the episode where you played around with a pen in your hand the whole time? I… I wanted your hands to be on me like that. I haven’t felt this way with anyone before,” Mikleo confessed, color rising to his cheeks.

This, Sorey realized, is the moment he irrevocably falls in love with Mikleo. He thought he could delay it, instead of letting the aesthetic attraction get the better of him and lead him astray into a futile crush, but having Mikleo lay his soul bare for him was the finishing blow. Although today is the first day he sees him, Sorey has known him for much longer, through the bits and pieces that slipped into their comment wars. The feelings had been there all along, slowly growing over time, blooming when they came face to face with each other.

(At the same time, the horrible realization dawns on him that Rose had been right since the very beginning.)

“Then that makes two of us, because I really want my hands to be on you, too,” Sorey said with a wide smile, rightfully earning the light punch on his shoulder from Mikleo that followed. “But I know what you mean. I’ve got my own ‘terms and conditions’, too. And it sounds like we might have very similar ones. Kissing you was… wow. That is plenty enough for me. If you’re comfortable with it, we can continue just doing that? Or not. That’s cool, too. You’re the one who kissed me, so, it’s your choice if you don’t want to anymore.”

“You’re really kind, Sorey. I’m fine now. And I do want to keep kissing you,” Mikleo confirmed with a shy smile.

“Okay, good. Then, two questions. One: is losing some articles of clothing acceptable according to your terms and conditions? Purely in the interest of improving the hands-on experience, which we can both agree on is a mutual interest. And two: Bedroom?”

“Yes and yes.” Mikleo was already getting to his feet as he replied. Sorey scrambled after him, tugging at the hem of Mikleo’s shirt.

Like a trail of breadcrumbs, their scattered clothes marked their path from the sofa to Sorey’s bedroom.

* * *

The night before, Sorey thought it would be a good idea to lend Mikleo one of his oversized shirts to sleep in.

In the morning, he realized it was the best mistake he’d ever had the fortune of making.

As it turns out, Mikleo was the early to rise type. Sorey, on the other hand, was not. Since he wasn’t used to sharing his bed with another person, Mikleo’s movements as he slipped out from underneath Sorey’s arms roused him as well. He blinked blearily, not quite sure what was happening all of a sudden.

The light seeping in through Sorey’s blinds gave Mikleo an ethereal glow as he climbed out of bed and stretched his arms over his head, pulling the edge of the shirt higher on his thighs. For a second, Sorey wasn’t sure if he was still dreaming or already awake, the memories from last night only gradually surfacing. Mikleo turned around, his lips curling into a content smile. Sorey was half-expecting to see a halo appear above Mikleo’s head.

“Your face is so pretty…” Sorey mumbled sleepily.

“Just my face?” Mikleo teased, sitting back down on the bed.

“You also... pretty hands.” The thoughts in Sorey’s head easily slipped out of his mouth as drowsy words, without him even realizing it. “And… pretty neck. Pretty… pretty, hair. Also, pretty… legs. With… pretty feet. Pretty, uh, hips, too. And a very, very pretty brain. The prettiest brain. Prettiest brain ever.”

Mikleo laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it.”

Sorey reached out and curled his arm around Mikleo’s waist, cuddling closer to him. In exchange, Mikleo started carding his fingers through the messy nest that was Sorey’s bedhead.

_Stay here forever,_ the thought formed with clarity amidst the morning haze. It was nothing short of a miracle that he didn’t say it out loud.

“What do you drink in the mornings? Tea or coffee?” Mikleo asked. Sorey was glad for the distraction.

“Depends on the morning. Tea sounds good today.”

“Alright. I’ll assume you keep things in logical places in your kitchen. I’d tell you to stay put, but it doesn’t look like you’d be going anywhere.”

Sorey made a noise of protest at that remark, but he let Mikleo go nonetheless.

He could get used to seeing Mikleo walk out of his room every morning, wearing his clothes. He already knows he’s going to miss it, come tomorrow morning.

A few minutes later, Sorey realized that any moment spent without Mikleo in his line of sight is a moment wasted, so he scrambled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen area. Mikleo was so engrossed in surveying the collection of tea at his disposal that he didn’t hear Sorey approach. Taking advantage of that, he sneaked up behind Mikleo, circling his arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

Mikleo gasped in surprise, going tense for a moment before letting himself relax into Sorey’s arms. “Huh, didn’t expect to see you out of bed so soon.”

_Got lonely without you_ , Sorey wanted to say. Instead, he let out a noncommittal hum.

Mikleo turned around in Sorey’s hold and left a fleeting kiss on his lips. “I can’t make tea for us like this, you know.”

“I’ll take kissing you over tea any day,” he replied. There is only so much he can keep himself from saying.

Color bloomed on Mikleo’s cheeks. “Tea first, kisses after?”

“Okay,” Sorey relented. He dropped his arms and pressed a kiss to Mikleo’s cheek. “I’ll start breakfast. Do you like waffles?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Mikleo answered.

Though it was a small kitchen, the boys moved around each other with ease. Before long, they were taking their seats at the table, ready to dig into their breakfast. The moan Mikleo let out after his first bite of waffles put his sounds from the night before to shame; Sorey already knew better than to comment on it.

They made pleasant small talk as they ate. All the while, the gears were turning in Sorey’s brain, hoping to find an excuse to spend more time with Mikleo before he inevitably had to leave. In what seemed like no time at all, Sorey was staring into the empty bottom of his mug. He set it down next to his equally empty plate.

Sorey glanced to the side and caught sight of the coffee table, giving him the possibility he had been hoping for. “So, uh, we barely made a dent in that pile of books, huh? Maybe you could… stay for a while today… Um, if you don’t have anything else planned!”

“Yeah, it’s fine, I don’t have to go back until the evening,” Mikleo replied with a smile. “I’d really like to spend more time with you, too.”

“Great! I wasn’t gonna do much today anyways. Except maybe film a new video.” Sorey suddenly went silent, an idea forming in his mind. “Hey Mikleo…”

“Oh no, I don’t like that sparkle in your eyes…” he said warily.

Sorey leaned forward, wearing a huge grin. “Have you ever thought of making your own video? I mean, you have as much to say about ruins as I do, maybe even more! You could easily start your own series.”

“Bold of you to suggest that, considering I’d probably steal your entire viewership if I did,” Mikleo countered with a smug grin of his own.

“I’m sure I’d keep at least one viewer in particular,” Sorey added, earning a blush from Mikleo. “Anyways, I was thinking that maybe… you could, uh… be a special guest today? I’d be talking about yesterday’s presentation anyways, and I’m sure the fans would love it.”

“Really?” Mikleo asked, his eyes going wide.

“Really. Well, if you don’t mind doing it, either. Getting in front of the camera for the first time can be pretty scary,” Sorey added, giving him the opportunity to decline.

“I won’t say I haven’t considered it before, but… Can I take a raincheck on it?” Mikleo suggested. 

“Sure,” Sorey quickly agreed. “Does that mean I’ll get to see you again another time?”

“What, were you planning on kicking me to the curb after a one-night stand?” Mikleo’s nervous snarking made a comeback.

“No no no, not at all!” Sorey quickly backpedaled, waving his hands, then the words started flooding out of his mouth. “I swear on the lords of the land, there was never any plan. Other than apologizing, that is. And, I did want to get to know you better, afterwards. Like, emotionally and stuff. Properly and courteously, as you’d deserve it. Didn’t think I’d get to know you _this_ well, and uh, physically, first. So, we should swap contact info and see… how it goes?”

“I... okay. I’d be okay with that.” Mikleo said, cheeks turning ever pinker. The simple prospect of having more of Mikleo’s presence in his future made Sorey’s heart soar.

“For the record, where do we stand now? I mean, a lot happened in just a day. And so I can uh, plan accordingly this time.”

“I think ‘friends’ is still a good starting point. On a… trial period of maybe eventually official boyfriends. If that sounds acceptable for you, too.” Mikleo offered, bashfully looking to the side.

“With early access to kissing benefits?” Sorey asked, hopeful.

“With early access to kissing benefits.” To prove his point, Mikleo pressed his lips to Sorey’s.

In the end, they didn’t get much reading done that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cyberbullying is bad, kids, dont do it  
> and dont fall in love with your cyberbullies, either, that's bad too
> 
> and also, seducing mikleo wasnt sorey's plan, but it sure as heck was mikleo's
> 
> fun fact: i wrote two fics in a row with the exact same plot of 'kimura ryouhei-voiced charas making out on sofas with angel-aesthetic charas', and i wrote the second one as a 'break' from this one, so it wasnt even really a break, was it?


	3. Chapter 3

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 35**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! Before I get started on this video’s topic, let me just say that Mayvin’s presentation was great. Awesome. Amazing. Fantastic. Best day of my life. So eye-opening. Wow… Wow. Anyways, uhh, yeah, I figured I could build off of that and talk about...”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

have you learned NOTHING.....

_SoreysChannel commented:_

I learned exactly what I needed to ;)

_The_Enforcer commented:_

sorey

can you not

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

the Banana Split-It & Make-Up worked, i see

we do wedding catering too btw

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Roooooose………

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

i’ll even give you guys a discount

and you know i don’t throw discounts around so easily

_View 28 more replies_

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record – Episode 36**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! I bet you’re all surprised to see a new video so soon, huh? Well, what can I say, I’ve been feeling really motivated lately!...”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

11:11 – nice correlation here, i haven’t heard of that before

but what you say from 18:52 seems pretty implausible to me… would you mind explaining a little more?

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Sure! :D I know, I know, but there’s actually a…

_View 46 more replies_

**Random Livestream #1**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“..and that’s it? Oh, oh yeah, I think it started. Okay, uh, hi everyone! I know this is pretty sudden, but I wanted to give this new livestreaming thing a try. It might be nice to do something casual like this every once in a while. Maybe I can introduce some of my friends later, too. Oh, there’s a live chat! That’s pretty neat. So, uh, how are you all doing today?”

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 42**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“…As usual, thanks for watching, and I’d love to hear what you all think down in the comments! Oh, and before I forget, I did a livestream last week which was pretty fun, so look forward to more of those coming, too! See you all next time!”

_The_Enforcer commented_ :

good call on 5:31, i see so many people confuse it for an earlier era

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Gosh, I know, right? Such an amateur mistake.

_View 34 more replies_

**Random Livestream #3**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hey there! I managed to convince Rose to join me today.”

“Yo! The same Rose that brought this sunshine boy into the limelight, just so you all know who the creative genius was behind this whole thing.”

“See, that’s why I’m giving you the honor of being the first guest!”

“Butter me up all you want, you’re not getting out of joining the Mario Kart race on my channel. Oh! If any of you, uh… Sorey’s fans, are interested in modern things like quality gaming content, check out my stuff on ThornyRedRose.”

“Why am I not surprised you couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a self-spon?”

**Random Livestream #10**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! I’m so excited for today’s stream, because I finally get to introduce Mikleo!”

“Uh, hi.”

“He’s… Mikleo is… My… Mikleo.”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘boyfriend’.”

“Ahaha, yeah. Boyfriend. My boyfriend. Mikleo, my boyfriend.”

“I think they got the point, Sorey.”

“My boyfriend Mikleo.”

“M-moving on!”

**Random Livestream #39**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hey guys! Sorey here. Live from... Mikleo’s bed. Uh, I know what this looks like, but it was… not that! We still got our pants on. I’m not going to show you guys that, just take my word for it. Anyways, I suddenly felt like I really needed to tell you all--”

“Sorey? What the heck are you doing? Wait.... are you livestreaming?!”

"Uh, yeah?"

“Oh my god... Put that phone down right this instant or so help me you will not get in this bed ever again.”

“Okay, then, bye everyone! My Mikleo gets grumpy without morning Sorey cuddles.”

“Sorey!!”

**A Journey Through The Celestial Record - Episode 80**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“And that’s it. The end of the Celestial Record. I talked about every single article in it. It was... quite the journey indeed! Really, thank you so much to everyone who watched even just one episode. Every view, every subscriber, every comment made it worth the effort. So, I already have an idea on what I want to do next! I don’t want to spoil too much yet, but one thing’s for sure: I’m going to collab with… a special guest! We’ve been planning it for quite a while, actually. Which means this isn’t a goodbye, but an until next time!”

_The_Enforcer commented:_

congratulations, for reaching the end. you’ve come a long way and improved so much. i’m proud of you 

_SoreysChannel commented:_

Thanks. I really couldn’t have done it without you <3

_The_Enforcer commented:_

<3

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

you two are so disgustingly adorable

_View 92 more replies_

**Celestial Pilgrimage – Dawn of Departure**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Gooood morning everyone, and welcome to my new series! After making an intellectual journey through the Celestial Record from the comfort of my desk, I figured the next step ought to be a physical journey. And the real fun in a journey is sharing the experience with someone else, so, I have someone special coming along with me.”

“Hello, I’m Mikleo. Some of you, uh, might already know me from Sorey’s livestreams… I hope you’re all going to enjoy our adventures. I’m planning on posting my own ‘behind the scenes’ shorts, too.”

“We’re starting our journey from the great stone archways of Elysia here. According to the Celestial Record they were built…”

**Behind the Scenes of: Celestial Pilgrimage - Marlind’s Great Tree**

Uploaded by The_Enforcer

“See that ass? I own it. Intellectually and physically.”

“Mikleo! Are you filming my butt again?”

“This is a behind the scenes video. Obviously, I’m filming the behind. I’m magnanimous enough to let other people at least see it when that’s the most they’ll ever have of it.”

**dorks being dorks**

Uploaded by ThornyRedRose

y’all are welcome

[15 minute footage of Sorey and Mikleo in a tickle fight]

**A Very Special Announcement**

Uploaded by SoreysChannel

“Hi everyone! Sorey here.”

“And Mikleo.”

“For today, we only have a very special announcement. But… it’s easier if we show it to you all.”

Sorey lifts their hands, fingers entwined. A gorgeous silver ring with an aquamarine gem set in it is shining on Mikleo’s finger.

“So, yeah, we’re gonna collab in everything else for the rest of our lives. See you all again soon!”

_ThornyRedRose commented:_

BOOYEAH I CALLED IT ON DAY ONE

CONGRATULATIONS RUINS NERDS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is... as done as it's going to get, for now  
> my plan was to write something short & simple for each prompt and this fic was neither of those :')  
> maybe one day, i'll come back with more in-between super lovey-dovey and extra domestic bits
> 
> anyway, thank you to everyone who read it, left kudos and commented!! i really, really appreciate it ^o^


End file.
